Container for beverages



March 26, BENSON CONTAINER FOR BEVERAGES Filed 001,. 12, 1953 INVENTOR.f/wesf fife/7.9a

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# Tram/5K United States Patent-O 2,786,597 N I ER R. BE ERAGES Ernest H.Benson, Kansas .City, Mo. Application October 12, 195.}, Serial No,-385,521 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-.-.-7I)

hi n i n relates con ain rs er the h p n t r Q e er s ear ater re p r icl r o a n v c n a n r of h har cte wh ch i hi hl suitable for homerefrigerator use. i i

As is well appreciated by those engaged in the marketing of beer andother beverages of like popularity, there has existed for some time ademand for a, container which is much larger than the normal 12-oz. canand yet which is small enough to be accommodated the average homerefrigerator.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a containerparticularly suited for home use and capable of being manufactured insizes consistent with'modest family requirements, for example one gallonor less. The container embodying my invention is preferably formedaluminum, and fabricated in such a fashion that its material andassembly costs are extremely low while still providing a container ofhigh strength capable of withstanding severe abuse. A particularlyadvantageous feature of my invention is that it provides a containerwhich can be reused for various purposes once emptied of its originalcontents, due to its durable construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container of thecharacter described which is so constructed as to make filling andsealing a matter of ease and simplicity. In this connection, a featureof my invention resides in the provision of a dispensing neck for thecontainer so supported and disposed as to be capable of receiving acrown-type cap for conventional capping machinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container in which theneck is surrounded by a barrier formed in the end wall of the containerto protect the neck against lateral impacts and blows and also to form aWell for the collection of any overflowing of foam or liquid from theneck. The barrier preferably takes the form of a hollow annular ringportion circumscribing and spaced from the neck.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a construction inwhich the neck end of the container is reinforced and supported in anovel manner, the support means also serving to close off the interiorof the annular ring portion beyond the innermost point on the neck toprevent the collection of liquid in the ring portion during pouring.

Another object is to provide a container having a construction in whichthe neck extends past the endmost point on the container, and yet inwhich the containers can be stacked one on top of another withoutinterference therefrom.

A further object is to provide a container in accordance with theforegoing objects having an attractive appearance, sturdy construction,of light Weight, and highly resistant to corrosion, particularly rust.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, together with thefeatures of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course ofthe following description.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of Patented Mar. 26,1957 the instant specification and is to be read in conjuetiontherewith, the single figure is aside elevation of a container embodyingmy invention, part being shown in section, and includes the lowerportion of a second container resting upon the top .of the lowercontainer.

Referring to the drawing, reference numerals 10 and; 11 indicaterespectively the upper and lower halves of the container. Each is formedgenerally as a relatively eep. upi e. s e y de p dr ing f m um, an theyare positioned open end to, open end andjoined tqa gether by acircumferential weld seam 12 which extends. completely around theperiphery of the container. A carrying and dispensing handle 13,preferably form fiiv of a bar of aluminum stock bent to a generallyU-shape, is secured to the side of the container by welds-14 at the endsof the handle. A

As is evident from the drawing, the upper end of the shell 10 is insetcentrally to provide a depressed area 10a which is surrounded by anannularhollow ring portion 10b. The interior ofthis ring portion issealed off from the remainder of the container by a concavoeconvex plate15 which is of equal diameter with the inside of the container, and issecured. to the inside wall of shell 10 by a circumferential weld seam16. The curved top of the, plate 15 abuts against the underside of theoutwardly dished depressed area 1041, and both the area 10a and theplate 15 are provided centrally with registering circular apertures inwhich is received the lower end of a projecting annular neck element 17.A single weld 18 laid around the base of the neck element 17 serves tojoin the neck to the container and also to seal the upper portion of theplate 15 to the adjacent area of the shell 10.

The neck element 17 is provided at its upper end with a lip 17a toreceive the crimped flange of a conventional crown-type cap 19, and itwill be evident that it is necessary only' to remove the cap 19 with theconventional opener and tilt the container by the means of the handle 13to dispense the contents. The plate 15 serves to insure that none of theliquid will enter the annular hollows of the ring portion 10b, and thatthe container will be completely emptied upon inversion.

The plate 15 serves also to reinforce the top of the container toprovide a sturdy base for the neck element. 17, the plate tending toabsorb in the form of compressive stresses the vertical impacts on theneck which occur during capping or during subsequent handling. Moreover,the combined thicknesses of the plate 15 and surface 10a at the vicinityof the welded connection 18 provide a more adequate foundation for theweld seam than would a single Wall thickness.

The ring portion 10b provides a protective barrier completely encirclingthe neck 17 and guarding the neck against lateral bumps and impactswhich might otherwise damage the welded connection with the container.

In addition it serves also to define a well in which any foam escapingfrom the neck 17 of the container is caught and held, thus preventingleakage down the sides and the possibility of puddling or pooling of thebeverage on table tops and the like.

The bottom of the container is provided with an inwardly dished, concavecenter portion 11a which makes it possible to nest the container one ontop of the other. As illustrated, the concavity forms a recess in whichthat portion of the neck 17 extending above the level of the ring 10b isreceived. It will be understood that the slight projection of the neck17 beyond the end of the container is desirable for ease in carrying outthe capping operation and also to make quick removel of the cap with aconventional cap remover possible.

In the assembly of the container from the various prefabricatedsections, before joining the halves 10 and 11 the plate 15 is positionedwithin the shell 10 and the weld 17 applied. The neck 17 is thenpositioned within the apertures at the top of the shell, and the weld 18is applied from the outside. Following this the half sections 10 and 11are welded together by the weld 12, and the handle 13 is secured inposition by its Welds, as previously described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaim.

As many possible embodiments maybe made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A metal container of the type having a neck adapted to receive apressure-applied cap, said container com prising a substantiallycylindrical hollow body having closed ends, one of said ends having acentral inwardly recessed portion defining a depressed areacircumscribed by an annular hollow ring portion, said depressed areabeing outwardly dished to form it as generally semispheroidal, acircular smoothly curved concavo-convex support member disposed withinsaid container adjacent said one end, the central portion of the convexside of said support member abutting the inside surface of saidoutwardly dished area and the dimensions of the support member beingsuch that the rim of the support member abuts at all points around itsperiphery with the inside wall of said container, the radius ofcurvature of said support member being such that all portions of saiddepressed area are supported by the adjacent portions of saidconcavo-convex support member, a continuous weld seam joining said rimto said inside Wall to rigidly connect said support member with saidcontainer, an annular neck element extending outwardly from the centerof said depressed area, the base of said element being received withinregistering apertures formed in said depressed area and said supportmember, the neck element being secured to the container by a single weldseam circumscribing said base and joining said neck to both thedepressed area and the concavo-convex support member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS343,126 Hull June 1, 1886 674,570 Wright May 21, 1901 1,607,774 MorseNov. 23, 1926 2,038,420 Cookley Apr. 21, 1936 2,077,027 Forras Apr. 13,1937 2,083,340 Merker June 8, 1937

